Okay, so I lost a lot of hair after having my first daughter but it wasn't that noticeable and only lasted a couple of months. I had my second DD 3 months ago and started losing my hair right away. It is coming out in clumps! So much so that I plug up the drain in the tub each time I take a shower. It is much worse this time that even my sister pointed out thinning, almost bald spots around my crown. Is this much hair loss normal? I am breastfeeding so could I be lacking any vitamins? I take prenatals still so I assumed I was getting all the vitamins I needed. Is there anything I can do to help lessen the hair loss?

Sorry to tell you that I am almost 11 months post-partum and I am STILL losing hair and cleaning out the drain every morning. It was worst from months 5-9, but it's still happening. From everything I've read and my friends' experiences, it's completely normal.

Hair loss can be super stress related, too, so you could be getting a double whammy in that department given that it must be pretty stressful to be 3 months post partum and have a young child at home already.

I clogged the drain with hair when I was in a job that stressed me out so much I got debilitating migraines, too. It stopped when I left.

I lost incredible amounts of hair post-partum too. I don't remember when it started and when it stopped, but I did get a bald area about 1" X 2" near my part towards the front of my head. I was forced to do a "comb over" for a couple of months until it grew back in. Fortunately, it's location made it easy to hide, but I was shocked that I lost enough hair to make such measures necessary.

The books and docs lead you to believe that it will only last a couple of months, but like Kiwi at 11 months pp, I'm still cleaning out the drain. I don't even want to go into how much I have to vacuum because my hair sheds ALL over the house! Hang in there, you're definitely not alone.

Just another thing that people don't know about until they give birth. I too didn't know until I started combing out my hair and clumps came out. My DR said it was because when you are pregnant you tend to not lose any hair that you would if you weren't so when you lose the hair after birth it is just the hair you would have lost throughout that 9/10 month period. It can be shocking but it does come to an end. Don't worry and try to relax about it. Hair grows back anyways.

My second child is 8 years old. I lost a lot more the second time, and sadly, a lot of it hasn't come back. It's most noticeable around my hairline in the front. I sometimes wonder if its my imagination, but when I look at old pictures it is very obvious to me how much thicker my hair was several years ago. I keep wondering if it has been continuing, but my hair dresser insists it's been the same for years now.

Fram, I don't know how pregnant you are, but my hair didn't stop falling out until the second trimester. Wait, did that make sense? What I am trying to say is that my hair stopped falling out in the second trimester. Then, a few weeks after I had the baby, it all fell out and scared the stuffing out of me -- I thought I'd be a bald woman (warning -- my skin also went crazy). Then things evened out and my hair started thickening up a bit, and then when we weaned I started losing it again. Basically there is no dignity in motherhood.

Yeah, I know! I thought you don't get your period when you exclusively breastfeed too. So you can imagine my disappointment last Sunday :( I really think it has to do with my DD sleeping through the night.

I know someone who thought you couldn't get pg because you couldn't get your period while breastfeeding exclusively so she was pretty darned surprised to feel a KICK one night as they went to bed. Her husband said she must have gas. Uh, not quite - they found out she was 5 months pregnant 7 months after giving birth! So, word to the wise if you aren't ready for number 2 don't assume it can't happen!

Lemon- I laughed when you wrote, "basically there is no dignity in motherhood."

Not only is my hair noticeably thinning, as I originally posted, but, like others have written in, I got my period 3 months post partum. I am exclusively breastfeeding so I was hoping to have a longer break from aunt flo. So now I am carrying extra weight, bald, and newly annointed with lots of zits. I am truly a sight to behold but I'll accept, with a smile, whatever havoc my body decides to bring me because I know I am truly blessed to have a healthy, happy little one.

It's totally a hormone thing. I had some significant hair loss when I stopped taking BCP. I freaked out. The doctor explained what it is and that it does eventually stop when your hormones regulate.

I would suggest making an appointment at your salon. Many stylists know how to handle the issue so that it's less noticable. I got some layers addeded and a demigloss, which plumped it up. It made a huge difference. I had a friend who got highlights, which makes hair look thicker.

Check w/ your doctor to make sure it's nothing more than hormone imbalance, and then make an appt w/ your stylist. GL.

My former hairdresser warned me that hair loss would happen. When you are pregnant you stop the hair loss cycle, so you end up having a lot more hair than usual by the time you are done with the pregnancy. A few months after giving birth if you are nursing, or right after giving birth if you aren't nursing, you start to shed the hair your body has been holding on to all pregnancy. Don't sweat it unless your hair becomes noticably more patchy than it was before you were pregnant!

Well my hair is still falling out. I'm a little more horrified each day, and now I think I've started to worry DH as I've been showing him my hairbrush after I'm finished brushing my hair each morning...

Well one thing that has made me feel better is that as I was watching the Kardashians last night I noticed Kourtney Kardashian's hair has noticeably thinned since she had her baby.